It’s essential to clean your Ninja coffee maker every so often if you want it to work well. Over time, calcium builds up in the machine because of the hard water. Use the clean cycle on the machine to get rid of these calcium deposits.
It’s simple. Just pour a mixture of water and descaling solution or white vinegar and water into the water tank and press the “clean” button.
If you want your coffee maker to work well, you should run this clean cycle as soon as the clean light comes on.
Read on to learn how to clean the Ninja coffee maker, including the water reservoir and carafe. It will take a little while for your Ninja Coffee Bar to be spotless.
Instructions for Cleaning the Ninja Coffee Maker
Ninja coffee machines range from single-cup pod-style brewers with a unique “brew through” lid to large drip coffee makers that can make 12 cups at once. Even models combine both ways of making coffee into a single machine.
No matter what kind of Ninja coffee maker you have, the first sign that it’s time to clean it is when the “Clean” light turns on.
Most Ninja coffee makers have an automatic indicator that lets you know when it’s time to run a clean cycle.
Once the clean light on your Ninja coffee maker comes on, there are two ways to clean the inside of your machine:
Cleaning Deeply with Vinegar
The first way to clean your Ninja coffee maker is with a white vinegar solution that you make yourself.
The best option is to use distilled white vinegar because it is both an efficient cleaning agent and reasonably priced. Follow these steps once you have the right cleaning solution:
1. Completely Fill the Reservoir
If you have a 12-cup machine, add 16 ounces of white vinegar to the water reservoir until it reaches the travel mug line. Next, add water to the reservoir to dilute the vinegar (up to the max fill line).
2. Replace Coffee Maker Carafe
Once you’ve filled the water reservoir with the white vinegar and water mixture to the max fill line, put the carafe back under the coffee brew basket. Make sure it fits right into the Ninja Coffee Maker.
3. Choose a Cleaning Option
Then, choose the full carafe size, look at the different brewing cycles, press the “Clean” button on the machine’s control panel, and let it do its thing.
Generally, a thorough clean cycle on a Ninja coffee maker will take roughly 8 minutes, although this will vary by model.
Please don’t touch any buttons or take the carafe out during cleaning, as this could stop the Ninja coffee bar from cleaning itself.
4. Empty Vinegar Cleaning Solution
When the cleaning is done, take the carafe out and pour the water and vinegar mixture. Clean the carafe, brew basket, and coffee maker water reservoir with warm soapy water and a good rinse.
5. Use Fresh Water to Flush
Ninja’s official cleaning instructions say you should do a flush cycle with only fresh water at least twice.
The best thing to do is use the “classic brew” setting on the carafe. This should help remove the white vinegar and descaling solution, leaving the carafe clean and shiny.
Read on: How to Clean a Coffee Maker Without Vinegar (17 Methods)
Using a Descaling Solution to Clean
If you don’t want to use vinegar to clean your Ninja coffee bar, you can also use the brand’s official Descaler.
This is the more expensive way to clean, but the cleaning solution is made to eliminate buildup in Ninja coffee bars.
Coffee taste and brewer efficiency can be improved by removing unwanted substances, such as calcium and limescale, that form naturally over time. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Dilute Descaling Solution
Add the descaling solution to tap water, like vinegar and water, to make the cleaning solution for this cleaning and descaling process.
Check the concentration instructions on the bottle to find the right amount of descaling solution to add to the water (you can use a coffee scoop for measurements).
2. Start the Cleaning Process
Fill the machine’s reservoir to the “max fill” line and press the “Clean” button. It is unnecessary to press the clean button more than once, and you should not use any other controls throughout the descaling cycle.
3. Drain the Descaling Solution
Pour the solution out of the glass carafe and wash the brew basket on the Ninja coffee bar.
4. Use Fresh Water to Rinse
Run the clean cycle with clean water to remove the descaling solution from the Ninja coffee bar altogether. You might need to do this several times to remove the residual cleaning solution altogether.
5. Clean the Coffee Filter and Reservoir
Clean the water tank, coffee pot, and filter with warm, soapy water. Please don’t use a cloth to dry them. Instead, let them dry on the counter. There may be lint on the parts from the cloth.
Put them back in your machine when they are dry. Now you’re all set to make a fresh cup of coffee.
Removable Ninja Coffee Bar Parts Cleaning
The instructions above concentrate on cleaning the stationary components of a Ninja coffee maker, but it’s also important to thoroughly scrub the machine’s removable components.
Depending on the Ninja model you’re using, you may have additional accessories, like a milk frother or coffee pod container.
Here are some rules and tips for how to clean each removable part of your appliance correctly:
Milk Frother
You must keep your coffee maker’s milk frother attachment or frothing whisk clean if you’re fortunate enough to have one. After each use, this component needs to be cleaned, but thankfully the procedures are simple.
To begin, remove the frother and give it a warm water rinse. Then put it back in place, pour some warm water into a cup, and run the frother in the water for about 30 seconds.
Glass Carafe
If you don’t like hand-washing dishes, toss the Ninja’s carafe (coffee pot) into the dishwasher with the rest of the dirty dishes and let the machine do its thing.
Filter & Basket
Because the permanent filter and filter basket can be put in the dishwasher, doing so is the simplest method to keep them clean.
If you’d instead wash them by hand, rinse them in warm, soapy water before letting them air dry or wiping them down with a soft cloth.
Warming Plate
You can’t put the warming plate in the dishwasher, which is too bad. The good news is that you can clean this part by quickly wiping it down after every brew cycle.
Ensure it’s cool before cleaning it with a moist cloth or paper towel and a few drops of gentle cleaner.
Water Reservoir
The Ninja’s water reservoir is another part that can go in the dishwasher. But this part is big, so it will take up a lot of space in your dishwasher, especially if you have a full 12-cup brewer.
Because of this, many individuals choose to hand-wash it in warm, soapy water in a sink.
Brew Through Lid
There are travel cups with brew-through lids available for some Ninja coffee makers. This lets you make coffee right in your cup, so you lose less heat and can enjoy a tasty cup of coffee on the go.
Make sure to clean this travel cup and lid every time you use them, either in the dishwasher or by hand with soapy water.
Exterior Parts
The best way to clean the outside of your machine is to wipe it down with a damp paper towel or cloth. Do this after each brew to clean the coffee bar of coffee splatters, grounds, and streaks.
FAQs
How much vinegar do you need to clean a Ninja coffee maker?
White vinegar is as effective and less expensive than a descaling solution. Pour vinegar into the water tank until you reach the “travel mug” line, which is about 16 fluid ounces (470 mL).
Then, fill it with water until the line that says “Max Fill” is reached. Use white vinegar only.
Is it okay to clean the Ninja coffee maker in the dishwasher?
The permanent filter, water tank, lid, and glass carafe can all go in the dishwasher. The brew basket and thermal carafe can’t go in the dishwasher.
How do you clean a Ninja coffee maker with baking soda?
You only need to combine a cup of warm water with 1/4 cup of baking soda, put it through one cycle in the coffee maker, and then run hot water through the system twice to clear the water.
When should you clean a Ninja coffee maker?
It will make a big difference and only takes 10 minutes. You should clean your Ninja once a week. Additionally, it would help if you descaled your coffee machine when the CLEAN indicator illuminates.
Scale, which can accumulate within a coffee machine over time, is removed using this procedure.
Conclusion
You can clean your Ninja coffee maker with a store-bought Descaler or a vinegar solution. Both will work well.
The true secret is to clean it frequently—at least once a month—instead of simply waiting for the clean light signal to turn on.
If you follow the steps in this guide for cleaning your Ninja coffee maker, you should be able to make great coffee at home for many years.
Also Read: How to Clean a Krups Coffee Maker (All Models)